Blog 6 - The Do's and Don't's of Funny

The Do’s and Don’ts of Funny.

Being funny is tricky, and some people just seem to have it. Here are some tips that are hopefully helpful.

1. Do laugh at yourself. Laughter is social, if you can laugh it invites other people to laugh. Life can’t be taken too seriously. If a joke flops, that’s okay. Laugh it off!

2. Do take things higher. This kind of goes along with the improv technique of “yes and”. Build on the outrageousness that is occurring around you. A classic example: 

Me, a whiny toddler complaining to my Dad about a bruised knee. 

My Dad, in all his dad humor glory, “If it hurts that badly, we could just cut it off” 

This was humorous, but also an effective way to get me to stop complaining. Great in many social situations.

3. Do be random. The unexpected can be so funny. Word an email like a town crier would, try out an impression or a voice. An exercise to practice this: Walk around your room and point at an object while saying aloud any other word that isn’t the name of the object. For example, point at a chair and say table. Better yet, point at a shelf and say orangutan. It’s also an easy game to play in quarantine.

4. Don’t overthink it.

5. Don’t try to be funny. Take the pressure off of yourself to perform or to make other people laugh. Some people aren’t cool enough to understand your jokes.

6. Don’t use any of these tips. Just be yourself and eventually your unique sense of humor will shine.